How do I go about working in another country?

Question

I am a Canadian citizen and if I wanted to seek employment in the United States, how would I go about doing this? Would I need a dual citizenship before I can work over there, or, would I need a work permit before I even apply anywhere?

Thank you

Answer 1

No you don't need dual citizenship - you need to be sponsored by US employer to come to the US on H1B visa to work there.

The Process to obtain an H1B Visa is:

Step 1 - find an H1B Sponsorship Job with a US Sponsoring Company (employer)

Step 2 - the H1B Sponsor Company (employer) files the H1B Visa Application with the US Immigration Bureau

* individuals can NOT sponsor or apply for their own H1B visa. Only US Employers can.

There are many reasons why US employers want to hire foreign national workers on H1B visas including: to help maintain their Global competitive advantage, to bring cultural diversity into the workplace, and the innovative and strong work ethics and practices that International workers possess. H1B workers also contribute highly to the US economy in numerous ways, help fill current labor shortages in many highly skilled professions and have been instrumental in contributing to the success of many of Americas largest and most prestigious companies.

To Qualify for the H1B Visa Program, you must work in a 'specialty occupation':

The core Specialty Occupations include: IT, Computing, Finance, Accounting, Banking, Marketing, Advertising, PR, Sales, Recruiting, Engineering (all types), Teaching, HealthCare/Medical, Legal, Lawyers, Networking, Telecoms, Business, Management and Hospitality.  

An H1B visa is typically valid for up to six (6) years and entitles your spouse (husband/wife) and children (under 21) to accompany you and live in the USA on an H4 visa. The H4 dependent visa does not allow your spouse/children to work (unless they get their own H1B visa).

Answer 2

You need a work permit, but as a Canadian, there are more options for you than for most other nationalities.